Graphite design choice from Ventus?

[Kwheat]

Ok guys, I've done a ton of reading on GD shafts and want to try one out but can't really put my finger on the right one.  No local fitter for GD in my area unless it's a CC and they charge $225, might as well just do it myself!

 

I've tested a lot of the ventus lineup.

Black 6x untipped was too stiff, had to be swinging 100% or leaks low and right.  Trajectory was low in general.  I've tried a 7s tipped 2", basically a 7x in fairway and same issues.

Blue 6s, 6x were too soft in the handle, lost it in transition but when timed right, very high straight and long.  Oddly I used to play a KK XT 70 in a 4 wood and loved it which is also a soft handle profile but couldn't time a tensei PW driver to save my life.

 

Ventus Red 6x tipped 1.75".  Solid, great trajectory and dispersion.  Feel is solid, hinge like release 3/4 down the shaft.  Could move it both ways but spin was a little high, there were no tight draw/fades, more like 15-20 yards both ways or just dead straight.  Playable but tough on tight courses, often aiming almost OB which is dicey.  It's also in my 3 wood and I could go back to it if need be.  

Ventus Blue TR 6x. Thought this would be the one from all the reviews of it being between blue and black.  Was hoping for stiff Red handle with smooth kick, tighter dispersion than the Red.   Everything but smoother feel was achieved for me, it's a little better than black but I think it's that super stiff tip section that I'm not the biggest fan of.  Performance is arguably better than red but I lost the feel.

TBH I can play either Red or TR and figure it out, but I keep reading about that GD feel lol.  So I gotta give it a go right?  It's like I want the explosive release out of the TR that the red has but dispersion results of the TR.

 

Ball speed is 170-175, SS hovers around 115, slight upward AOA like 2 deg for a draw, little flatter on a cut. I couldn't hit a high cut, low draw to save my life.  Relatively smooth transition, most of the speed comes from late release, left leg posting hard into impact.  I'm fine to hit a cut only going forward if absolutely necessary as I've got my 3 wood dialed in for draws but I'm not sure if the desired explosive feel I'm looking for would even work with that wish... Is a cut via telephone pole shaft mutually exclusive to a soft draw haha? 

Edited November 13, 2023 by Kwheat

[MattM97]

GD has a ton of options so have to try a bunch.

 

IZ, VF, HD, VR, CQ, TP probably all potentially similar to the Ventus lineup. 

 

I had the IZ win out over the Ventus Blue for me in a 3W fitting. 

[third-times-a-charm]

6 minutes ago, Kwheat said:

Was hoping for stiff Red handle with smooth kick, tighter dispersion than the Red.   

 

Nothing in the GD line is quite like the uber-stiff Ventus tip/butt sections but closes to the blue would be the TP or HD and red I would say UB or IZ. You can also go classic DI if you want to feel lots of kick from the shaft for feedback; the TP is a version of the DI.

 

GD is funny in that all the shafts in the lineup are really versions of each other but just different characteristics but none of them really match what other OEMs may have in their lineup like a Tensei Orange or Ventus Black and etc. The stiffest handle section IIRC is in the UB but its still not anywhere near the Ventus Red - and the softest handle is in the XC but still nowhere near a Tensei White as another example.

[PNW]

as @third-times-a-charm said, most of their shafts are similar and variations of blueboard-ish profile. However, the new VF is pretty similar to Ventus Black. Pretty similar stability with a touch more feel. 

 

 

[Kwheat]

Thanks guys, from what it sounds like a tweener shaft between a heavily tipped red and blue tr isn't an easy answer.  

[PNW]

If you want to stick with a Ventus shaft then you could try a TR Black 6S or 5X depending on your weight preference. sort of a tweener in that it has a stable butt section with a hint of a low/mid kick like Red, just less pronounced than Red.

[Dave22]

After reading your swing descriptions and numbers, we have some similarities. I moved away from black 6x with the same concerns you noted. I had some great success at the end of the year with GP 6x and TP 6x tipped a half inch. I would recommend the TP as GP are discontinued and harder to find. Works great with a fairway finder swing or if I step on it a bit. Good luck. 

[Adam B]

I really enjoy my XC in 6x.  Coming from a ventus black in 6x that I loved when I was on my game, fwiw.  The GD seems to keep a smoother profile regardless of where my swing speed is that day. 

[Kwheat]

@Dave22 I've been looking mostly into TP or HD, some say they're linear and anti-left, others say smoother DI just slight tip differences.  Anti-left to me is a ventus black (maybe too stiff for that person...?) while a smoother DI sounds like it's workable both ways and maybe a good place to start.  I see TPs on eBay for pretty cheap too.  Thoughts there?   

 

@Adam B have you also played any of the whiteboard profiles?  How does the XC compare, I know it's butt soft but that's relative to other GD.  I've had a rough time with all white profiles except a KK XT, was a big fan.

[Dave22]

7 hours ago, Kwheat said:

@Dave22 I've been looking mostly into TP or HD, some say they're linear and anti-left, others say smoother DI just slight tip differences.  Anti-left to me is a ventus black (maybe too stiff for that person...?) while a smoother DI sounds like it's workable both ways and maybe a good place to start.  I see TPs on eBay for pretty cheap too.  Thoughts there?   

 

@Adam B have you also played any of the whiteboard profiles?  How does the XC compare, I know it's butt soft but that's relative to other GD.  I've had a rough time with all white profiles except a KK XT, was a big fan.

Haven’t tried the HD so cannot comment. Have both the DI and TP. The TP has a stiff enough tip and feel that I do not ever have a problem with it going left. The DI and TP are very similar on paper but I find the DI a little loose if I am not smooth. More tendency to go left for me. I played yesterday with the TP and went hard at it on a couple holes, a little toey contact and they stayed straight. My usual flight is straight or little fade but the toe shots stayed straight with my swing. Hope that helps. 

[Pepperturbo]

13 hours ago, Kwheat said:

Thanks guys, from what it sounds like a tweener shaft between a heavily tipped red and blue tr isn't an easy answer.  

No, not easy. 

 

I am a feel player with an aggressive tempo and transition, tested four GD Driver and hybrid shafts.  They just don't have the combo handle power and tip stability.  In some cases, I couldn't feel the difference between GD driver shafts, none compared to TR Blue.  

 

I have the original Red, 5, 6 & 7, and TR Red & Blue, 5 & 6.  For me, there is a distinct more stout feeling between TR and original.  TR Blue has a stiffer handle, which is why it works for me when original Blue handle felt too soft.  Anyway, good luck on your Odyssey.